‘Secretary Cheung has Good News for OFWs in HK’
Image Caption: Labor Secretary Matthew Cheung (photo from the Secretary’s blog)
If Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III is to be believed, the Hong Kong government has some “good news” for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the city.
Speaking at the Hong Kong University (HKU) on Sunday, Bello said HK Labour Secretary Matthew Cheung twice told him during their dinner on September 23 about some “good news” but asked the Filipino labor chief to keep them “secret”.
“Marami siyang sinabi na makakapabor sa inyo pero palagi niyang sinasabing secret. ‘I am telling this to you because I trust you.’ Gumaganun siya kaya hindi ko kayo masabihan. Totoo yan,” Bello told Filipinos during the dialogue at HKU on September 25.
“Dalawang beses siyang nagsabi na may magandang balita pero sabi niya, ‘I trust you. It’s between you and me only,” he added.
Filipino domestic workers are asking the government for an increase in their minimum wage and food allowance.
When asked about his dinner with Bello, Cheung said they did discuss the wage issue for FDHs.
“I made the point clearly that in Hong Kong, we have got a regular exercise going on. In fact, annually for the last few years to review the minimum wage level for FDHs in Hong Kong,” Cheung said.
“We will be doing it again this year on the basis of a basket of economic and social indicators…We’ll be following the same methodology this year, and hopefully we will come up with a decision before long,” he said.
“I made the point considering the level of pay. We will take account of all factors in front of us, including of course the request from the union, and also of course we got to balance interests between the union and employers on the other hand,” he added.
(Source: HongKongNews.com.hk)